Patches —

Google’s Android 4.2.1 update brings back December

Rollout begins with Nexus 4 handsets and Nexus 10 tablets.

Google launched a minor patch for Android 4.2 Jelly Bean this morning. Android 4.2.1, also known as JPO40D, is 1.1MB in size. It will slowly roll out to Nexus 4 handsets and Nexus 10 tablets, and though the Nexus 7 and Galaxy Nexus haven't been officially confirmed, it's possible those two devices are on the update roster as well. Users can also download the update file from Google's servers.

So far, the most notable change in the small update is that it brings back the month of December to the People app. Google had mistakenly left out the month of December in Android 4.2, leaving those with poor memories struggling to remember the birthdays and anniversaries of their loved ones.

As noted by the Android Police, the update most likely fixes a few other bugs as well, though they are not as apparent as the glitch in the contacts app. The list of files that have received changes is extensive and seems to include patches for things like Bluetooth connectivity, Android's new FaceLock feature, and Google's Voice Search.

Florence Ion
Florence was a former Reviews Editor at Ars, with a focus on Android, gadgets, and essential gear. She received a degree in journalism from San Francisco State University and lives in the Bay Area.

And what happened, then? Well, in Mountain Viewville they say - that Google's small heart grew three sizes that day. And then - the true meaning of Christmas came through, and Google found the strength of *ten* Googles, plus two!

I just got my Nexus 7 and rooted it. Am I going to have trouble getting the OTA update so I can have December back?

Simply rooting will not prevent OTAs. Although, an OTA will wipe out the SU binary thus removing root access.

I am really disappointed with how many bugs there are in 4.2. This destroyed the nice track record 4.X had, where they only released extremely polished builds. I hope this update fixes all of the bugs people have been experiencing.

Great for Nexus owners. All other manufacturers should be rolling it out by next September.

Is 4.2 available on non-nexus devices yet?

I'm slowly moving to a Nexus only platform. Got the 7 and the 10 but still on a galaxy S3 for phone. It's great that Google appear to be taking the hardware side of things a lot more seriously now. The one big gap they had compared to Apple is finally closing. Getting timely updates (even if only to fix comical bugs) is a big differentiator in the Android space.

so the guy in the cube next to me just bougt a new galaxy nexus and I have a 9month old one. he has 4.2.1 (with AT&T) and I have 4.1.1(with Verizon). Is there a way for me to upgrade my Galaxy Nexus with an official build?

so the guy in the cube next to me just bougt a new galaxy nexus and I have a 9month old one. he has 4.2.1 (with AT&T) and I have 4.1.1(with Verizon). Is there a way for me to upgrade my Galaxy Nexus with an official build?

Even if you can, it may not be the best time to do so. The 4.2.x has been a bit flaky so far.

so the guy in the cube next to me just bougt a new galaxy nexus and I have a 9month old one. he has 4.2.1 (with AT&T) and I have 4.1.1(with Verizon). Is there a way for me to upgrade my Galaxy Nexus with an official build?

Possibly, after Verizon does three or four months of testing like it did with 4.1.

I just got my Nexus 7 and rooted it. Am I going to have trouble getting the OTA update so I can have December back?

You may not get OTA, but you can flash manually. I assume you also flashed a custom recovery.

1) Head over to xda and find someone who has posted an update file for your current version and download it.2) Install Voodoo OTA rootkeeper, run it, "protect root"3) Flash the update via your custom recovery.4) Boot up and restore root from the Voodoo OTA rootkeeper.

Read up on xda. It's a pretty easy process, but I very well could have left out a step. Use those guys as your guide.

If you do get an OTA notice, use the Voodoo OTA rootkeeper to keep root during the update.

So more on topic: Eh, I have no December jokes. I guess this is the one benefit to the slow rollout for most owners.

I am still in the mind set of gettign rid of July and August.That way the months will make sense:Sept - 7Oct - 8Nov - 9Dec - 10

Yeah, damn those Caesars!

I'm going to go into pedant mode and point out that those months were renamed for Julius and Augustus, but were not newly inserted. The inserted months were actually January and February (not July and August nor their predecessors), and the insertion was made about 650 years before Quintilis and Sextilis were renamed July and August.

I just got my Nexus 7 and rooted it. Am I going to have trouble getting the OTA update so I can have December back?

Simply rooting will not prevent OTAs. Although, an OTA will wipe out the SU binary thus removing root access.

I am really disappointed with how many bugs there are in 4.2. This destroyed the nice track record 4.X had, where they only released extremely polished builds. I hope this update fixes all of the bugs people have been experiencing.

Every company releases a bugged product now and then. Hell, almost every iOS release has one or two major bugs.

The jokes about missing birthdays in December are misleading and unprofessional, as that's not even what the bug is. The app displays existing December entries just fine, it just doesn't give you a December choice when inputting new entries. But, nevermind facts to make a joke. This is a minor case, but it's a perfectly good example of how sucky online journalism has become - take a headline, run with it to get some page views, and completely ignore actual investigation or reporting the facts.

Got the auto update on my Nexus 7 a couple hours ago. It was kind of confusing at first because the installer told me it was upgrading to 4.2 and extolling its virtues, but I knew I already had 4.2, because I've been enjoying the multi-user support.

With 4.2, my own Nexus 7 exhibited some stability issues, being a little bit less responsive (not unbearable, but annoying), and having the screen flicker with the autobrightness.By far the worst bit was the stability issues. While reboots don't take too long, it's more than a mere annoyance and admittedly made me second guess my decision to abandon the iPad 2.The speedy update has been a godsend. It's as quick and smooth as it was when I first got it (a touch smoother), no more crashes in the few hours I've been updated (would crash noticeably once a day, maybe more when I wasn't watching), and there have been no flickers.I'll take it.I do feel a bit bad for anyone who experienced issues with the 4.2 update though. Good thing the 4.2.1 update came out so quick....

Great for Nexus owners. All other manufacturers should be rolling it out by next September.

Yeah, except if you're stock (not rooted) and with AT&T. Still no update for my ICS HTC One X, and those were updated overseas...Ready to abandon any hope for an update on my phone. Last time I buy a non- nexus device, but I need my LTE ;-)

Great for Nexus owners. All other manufacturers should be rolling it out by next September.

Yeah, except if you're stock (not rooted) and with AT&T. Still no update for my ICS HTC One X, and those were updated overseas...Ready to abandon any hope for an update on my phone. Last time I buy a non- nexus device, but I need my LTE ;-)

Great for Nexus owners. All other manufacturers should be rolling it out by next September.

Yeah, except if you're stock (not rooted) and with AT&T. Still no update for my ICS HTC One X, and those were updated overseas...Ready to abandon any hope for an update on my phone. Last time I buy a non- nexus device, but I need my LTE ;-)

Just root, unlock, and install a CM build...

That. I've been using the CM10 nightlies on my One S for about a week, and it's so much better than stock.

I am still in the mind set of gettign rid of July and August.That way the months will make sense:Sept - 7Oct - 8Nov - 9Dec - 10

Yeah, damn those Caesars!

I'm going to go into pedant mode and point out that those months were renamed for Julius and Augustus, but were not newly inserted. The inserted months were actually January and February (not July and August nor their predecessors), and the insertion was made about 650 years before Quintilis and Sextilis were renamed July and August.

I will now refer to July as Quintilis for the rest of my life. Sextilis will just get giggles, so August it remains.